


Career Consultant

by JackiLeigh



Category: White Collar
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-05-04 15:54:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14596467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackiLeigh/pseuds/JackiLeigh
Summary: This is one of my first White Collar fics. Neal is musing about his future, after his FBI stent.





	Career Consultant

Career Consultant

 

AN: It won’t be long before Neal’s ‘time’ is up. This is my version of how I think that conversation between Neal and Peter might go.

 

“There’s only a few months left on your sentence.” Peter said to Neal as they rode in to the FBI field office. “What are you going to do?”

Neal looked at Peter. He had actually given it a lot of thought. And, truth be told, he liked being an FBI Consultant. He liked that Pete trusted him enough to take his word on hunches he had. He liked he was, he felt, respected, at least a little, by Peter’s fellow agents.

“I like working with you, Peter.” Neal said, honestly. “I really do. It surprises me to say it, but I do.”

“You’ve given up your ‘life of crime’?” Peter asked. 

“Well, in three years you know all my tricks.” 

“A good con man never gives up all his secrets.” Peter replied.

“That is correct, sir. But you do know a lot of them.” Neal admitted. “More than I’m comfortable with.”

“So…what? You would be too easy to catch next time around?”

“Cons always improve their games. It’s never good to do the same thing….”

“Fall into a rut.” Peter stated, nodding.

Neal smiled. “Exactly.”

Peter got serious again. “What are you going to do?”

“I…I’d like to stay.” Neal said.

“You’d like to stay with the Bureau?” Peter wasn’t sure he had heard right. “So, why…again would you like to stay?”

“I told you cons always improve their games.”

Peter nodded.

“It’s the game I enjoyed, Peter. I mean. I liked the stuff too. I liked the money. I needed the money. It was a living.” Neal paused. “But that is not what it’s about…ultimately. I like, no, I love to play the game, figuring out the next move, outsmarting my opponent.”

“Me.” Peter stated.

“Yes, at one time, it was you.” Neal admitted. “But the ‘who’ is always secondary. Don’t’ get me wrong, the ‘who’ is important. It’s always taken into consideration. But if you don’t have a good plan…you’re gonna fail. You need a good plan regardless the opponent.” Neal tried to explain further. “And, of course, you never waste a brilliant plan on an unworthy opponent. Plus, I love the rush of adrenaline. And I still get that rush. It’s…it’s just from the other side of the fence now.” Neal smiled. “And the best part is…all this planning and scheming can’t get me landed in jail.”

“You sure about this?” Peter asked.

“No.” Neal said smiling. “You?”

“Not at all?” Peter smiled back. “I’ll see what I can do.”

 

THE END


End file.
